Ford gives its luxury division something to hang its hat on in both the styling and handling departments as we spend a week in the future of the Lincoln brand

Pros:

Driving dynamics
Styling
Interior fit and finish

Cons:

Snug rear seating
MyLincoln Touch
Touch and slider controls

2013 Lincoln MKZ

Lincoln revival

For years Ford allowed its Lincoln division to languish. Rumor even has it that when CEO Alan Mulally first took the helm he was all in favor of throwing the brand out the back door along with the Mercury bathwater even as the company was divesting itself of Volvo, Jaguar and Land Rover.

2013 Lincoln MKZ

But cooler heads seem to have prevailed – which is a good thing as the first model in the brand's hoped-for renaissance has a lot going for it. This is especially true when you consider the kind of baggage that comes with retaining the Lincoln MKZ badge.
2013 Lincoln MKZ
First brought to market in August of 2005 as a 2006 model, the then-designated Lincoln Zephyr was little more than a Ford Fusion with a fancier grille, chrome wheels and a few wood trim bits slapped around its interior.

The Zephyr name was dropped in favor of MKZ after just one year, but this, along with two refreshes in 2007 and 2010 did little to help sales. Finally, a lack of product at the beginning of this year put a crimp in deliveries of the all-new 2013 model.

So the one question we were asking ourselves as we spied a Smoke Quartz Tricoat example in the parking lot was, "was it worth the wait?"
2013 Lincoln MKZ
2013 Lincoln MKZ

In a word, "yes."

The newest Lincoln represents a radical transformation from the old model. Although its design was penned here in the U.S., its underpinnings are based on the European Ford Mondeo – bringing European driving dynamics to the Lincoln brand for the first time since the demise of the LS in 2006.
2013 Lincoln MKZ
Exterior

Outside the difference is styling is truly dramatic. Gone is the plain vanilla cookie-cutter look of old, replaced by a slick and sweeping profile. Its sophisticated style, in fact, looks right at home alongside the best that Germany has to offer, thank you very much (do I hear an "A" – how about a "B"?).

The new MKZ's appearance is defined by a sweeping roofline that's bracketed by a steeply raked windshield and lengthened backlight that not only give it a sleek look but result in a ten percent improvement in aerodynamics over the outgoing model.

Up front, it retains a version the split-wing grille that first appeared on the 1938 Lincoln Zephyr. In the case of the MKZ, however, the grille is stylized, narrower and sweeps back nearly flush to the upper front bumper.
2013 Lincoln MKZ
Along the sides, there's a lower character line above the door sills and between the wheel wells. At the same time, a prominent upper crease just below the beltline extends from the trailing edge of the headlamp enclosures, creating a shoulder line that becomes more pronounced at the C-pillar before terminating at the trailing edge of the deck lid just above the rear taillamp.

As it travels along the body, however, the crease bisects both door handles while also creating an area large enough just aft of the A-pillar where rearview mirrors sit on door-mounted, sculpted pedestals. This design feature allows the front door glass to extend forward for better visibility.
2013 Lincoln MKZ
Unlike many vehicles, however, the back is just as interesting as the front. As the roofline flows past the C-pillar it nearly flattens out, cantilevering over the narrow single-band LED taillamp to form the rear spoiler. But the spoiler, itself, only encompasses the width of the trunk lid as it continues to follow the aspect of the shoulder line until it merges with the upper character line.

Adding to the look on our tester were optional 19-inch polished wheels wrapped in 245/40R19 Michelin Primacy mxm4 tires that nicely filled the wheel wells giving the MKZ a contemporary new look described by Lincoln Design Director Max Wolff as projecting an "elegant simplicity."
2013 Lincoln MKZ
Interior

Inside, the most striking feature of the MKZ is its high, floating center console bereft of  knobs and buttons. The shifter, itself, has been 86'd in favor of a set of buttons located on the left side of the center display screen. Capacitive touch buttons are backlit and flush mounted so when the vehicle is turned off they disappear entirely.

Volume and fan speed are controlled by two capacitive-touch sliders and the forward center console opens up in a clamshell design. Eliminating the shifter also allowed designers to raise the entire console for a full-length arm rest, eliminating the traditional two-tier style for a cleaner look.
2013 Lincoln MKZ
So how does it all shake out, you might ask. Well there's no denying the fact that it certainly looks elegant. The downside, however, is that the transmission push buttons take a bit of getting used to, the console touch buttons could use more feedback, while the sliders for the volume and fan speed were often frustrating to use.

But at the same time front seat passengers will find an airy cabin with plenty of leg and head room. The heated leather-trimmed seats are nicely bolstered and both feature electric adjustments for seat height, seat back angle, fore and aft adjustment and seat cushion angle as well as 2-way power lumbar.
2013 Lincoln MKZ
Outward visibility is excellent due to the large expanse of glass, low beltline and comparatively narrow D-pillars, making backing up and maneuvering in tight spaces much less of a guessing game than many of the vehicles in this class.

Interior fit and finish is excellent. The dashboard – designed to mimic the split-wing grille - has a clean modern look and is composed of soft touch surfaces accented by brushed aluminum and brown swirl walnut wood trim. Instrumentation gauges are clearly marked and backlit.
2013 Lincoln MKZ
Based as it is on MyFord Touch, the MyLincoln Touch system displayed on the central 8-inch touch screen is much improved over the original version although there is still work to be done if it's to becomes as intuitive an interface as an iPhone. In any case I was able to pair an iPhone to it very quickly without having to refer to the owner's manual.

The steering wheel, which is wrapped in leather, has a substantial feel to it with just the right amount of grip. It also tilts and telescopes, making it easy to find a comfortable driving position.
2013 Lincoln MKZ
Total passenger volume is 96.5 cubic feet while trunk volume is 15.4 cubic feet. Trunk volume can be increased by flipping the 60/40 rear seatbacks forward. There is also a pass-through door located behind the fold-down rear seat center arm rest.

The large rear doors make ingress and egress easy and two adults, plus a third if necessary, will find plenty of arm, hip and leg room in back. The only negative is the swoopy roofline that might make things a bit tight for taller passengers.
2013 Lincoln MKZ
On the road

Based as it is on the Ford Fusion, you would think that their handling characteristics would be fairly similar and in some respects they are. Both feature a composed ride and responsive steering, but the MKZ actually builds on the Fusion's driving dynamics. On the road it not only feels solid and well-planted, it's actually fun hotfooting around the back roads. Not only does its MacPherson strut front and fully independent multilink rear suspension doing a great job of damping road imperfections, Lincoln engineers have added an extra layer to this goodness.

Called Lincoln Drive Control, the system brings together the vehicle's continuously controlled damping (CCD) adjustable suspension, electric steering, engine, transmission, Active Noise Control, traction control and stability control systems.
2013 Lincoln MKZ
The CCD system offers up three driving modes – Sport, Normal and Comfort that can be chosen using MyLincoln Touch. Sport mode can also be actuated via the push button gear selector.

CCD also monitors the vehicle's suspension settings up to 500 times per second and is capable of adjusting said settings at a rate of up to 50 times per second.

Not only is the MKZ a hoot to drive, but the interior is close to library quiet around town as well as on the freeway thanks to its standard active noise control.
2013 Lincoln MKZ
Under the hood

Speaking of hoots, MKZs are available with a choice of three engines. The optional powerplant is a 3.7-liter naturally aspirated V6 generating 300 horsepower and 277 lb.-ft. of torque. Available at no extra charge is a hybrid powertrain consisting of a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle inline-4 producing 141 horsepower and 129 lb.-ft. of torque mated to an AC permanent-magnet synchronous electric motor with 118 hp. and 117 lb.-ft. of torque with the combined system capable of 188 hp.
2013 Lincoln MKZ
Our tester was equipped with the standard setup – a turbocharged 2.0-liter EcoBoost inline-4 making a maximum 240 horsepower and 270 lb.-ft. of torque at just 3,000 rpm, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

With a vehicle this entertaining, fuel economy might even be considered an afterthought. But thanks to the marvels of modern engineering, this combination is rated by the EPA at 22 mpg city/31 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined. Over the course of a week of aggressive suburban driving my observed fuel economy was an impressive 25.5 miles per gallon.
2013 Lincoln MKZ
Equipment

As one might expect from a luxury brand, MKZs come with a lengthy list of features. Aside from the aforementioned goodies, standard power features include power windows (one-touch up-down for front and rear), mirrors and door locks with keyless entry and keypad, push-button start, tinted glass, dual-zone automatic climate control, automatic adaptive LED headlamps, electric power steering, auto-dimming rearview mirror and Sirius satellite radio are just some of the standard features drivers will enjoy.

Our tester also came with two major options including "equipment group 102A" which includes a rear view camera, reverse sensing system, navigation system and Ford's Blind Spot Information System with cross-traffic alert as well as the Technology Package which consists of active park assist, adaptive cruise control and Lincoln's lane-keeping system.
2013 Lincoln MKZ
Pricing

2013 Lincoln MKZ new car prices begin at $36,820 for a front-wheel drive hybrid or EcoBoost-equipped model and can top out at over $51,000 for a fully-optioned AWD model equipped with the V6.

Our AWD tester had a base price of $37,815 with the 102A Equipment Group adding an additional $3,150 and the Technology Packing taking on $2,250. It also came with Smoked Quartz Tricoat paint ($495), 19" polished alloy wheels ($750) and rear inflatable seatbelts ($195). Factoring in an $895 destination and delivery fee brought it to a total suggest retail price of $45,550.
2013 Lincoln MKZ
The Bottom Line

So what's the bottom line to all this?

As I see it, the new MKZ not only signals the beginning of what we all hope is a renaissance of the brand, it also marks the first time in memory that a Lincoln is actually fun to drive.

It also means that luxury car buyers looking for agile handling, a quiet ride and sexy styling need look no further than the new Lincoln MKZ.

2013 Lincoln MKZ